


Distant, But Yet So Close

by Snrpy



Category: Original Work
Genre: Character Death, Gen, I love writing even tho I suck uwu, Immortality, M/M, No Smut, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28551777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snrpy/pseuds/Snrpy
Summary: Sawn, an immortal, stuck in the era where humans don't exist. Longing for company from a time traveller. A journey towards the new era with his dog and the waiting for his best friend.
Relationships: Shown later in the story
Comments: 3
Kudos: 2





	1. The Oasis

  


Sand dunes of the dessert that alters eternally glistened brightly in the hot sun. A melody of nostalgia played at the back of Sawn's head, rolling the soft faded memories back and forth, bringing an unknown peace to him. Beside the young man trotted a small dog, tongue flailing because of the extreme temperature. The atmosphere made him feel like he was in a small pocket of time. He wishes to remain there forever. 

"It's really pretty, isn't it, Peony?" Sawn muttered as they slowly approached an oasis.

The thought of such a lush place in a dessert amazed him, it felt unreal. But oddly, it exists. Peony let out a small yelp as it slipped down the small dune, tumbling towards the pocket of life. Sawn chuckled softly as he lifted the small dog up into his arms, nuzzling the creature affectionately. The dog squirmed exitedly as it was showered with kisses.

"Sawn~" 

The man stiffened. That voice, the one he longed for every day eversince the first time they'd met. The difference between a time traveller and an immortal were so vast, yet so similiar. Like blackholes and neutron stars, so different in many ways, but emerged from the same origins. So without a second thought, Sawn whipped around to see his old friend.

"Lou! What a weird place to meet, if I do say so myself." The man said, tapping his chin with a finger contently.

The other stood infront of him wore a soft smile. His eyes beamed beautifully in the sunlight, Sawn knew those eyes were hazel, but he couldnt see the colour. Afterall, the whole world to him is just black, grey, and white. Lou chuckled softly, Sawn noticed how gentle it sounded, but never understood the tingly feelings he gets.

"Well, can't avoid a pretty place can I?" Lou answered, petting Peony softly, "awww who's a good doggie!" He cooed as he proceeded to give the pup a belly rub.

"S-stop it, hahaa! You're tickling me!" Sawn shied away from the invading hands.

"I'm giving her a belly rub," Lou shot back almost immediately, "I'm not even touching you."

"You're so mean." 

The two sat down under a small tree, chatting about how things have been. Lou whined about finding errors in the future, about how the world were to initially end in 348 years, 11 months, on the 2nd at the exact time of 3:45 am and 3 seconds. But somehow, when he'd checked again today, the time was 4 seconds off to the future. Sawn called him off and said he was dumb, saying 4 seconds wasn't a big deal. 

"Lou- its only four seconds, what could possible go wrong?" Sawn shouldered the other jokingly, the hazel eyed man obviously wasn't happy with that.

"Nono, you don't get i-"

"Well, how am I supposed to get it huh?" Sawn snapped back.

He regretted that, he always hated snapping. Not that he does it a lot, since he was always alone, but rather the aggresion given out by the manner. He hovered two hands over his face and groaned into it.

"Sorry... I shouldn't have snapped," Sawn apologised, leaning into the other man, hand still on his face.

Lou chortled softly then wrapped his arm around the smaller man's shoulder in a friendly matter. 

"Hey, it's alright, I get it, I basically come from the future and you're just here, alone, not counting Peony though." 

"I don't like being mean," Sawn sighed, "Not with my best and only friend."

Lou smiled genuinely before pulling Sawn into a hug.

"Aww you're so sweet, I love you too," the man laughed into Sawn's hair, "no homo."

Sawn bursted out in laughter, "I hate you too, idiot."

  
Like a star shooting across the sky, their encounters were very rare. Sawn would savour every second of their presence together. He would try and grasp the soft feelings, the warmth, the kindness in Lou's tone, and the care they had for eachother. He wanted the other to stay with him forever, but unfortunately, forever only applied to him. Fearing the worst, he knew one day, they'll part, and he'll be alone again. Never escaping the pain of immortality. A part of him hopes they'll become enemies, distancing the two before the inevitable happens. Maybe then, would he understand the meaning of life. 

Sometimes he'll feel cold, so cold that he can't feel cold anymore. Those were the times he longed for Lou's embrace, the only warmth he wishes for everyday. Through the extreme hots of the desserts or the blizzards of the mountains, neither of them will he ever forget Lou. Never.

"Are you staring?" Lou suddenly said.

"Wh- no!" Sawn shot back with a glare.

A blatant lie. One painfully obvious that Lou so laughs hard into the ground.

"You were! What were you thinking about?" He asked through the breathless gasps for oxygen.

"Nothing much." Sawn turned away, as if to tell the other he was mad.

"C'mon! You have a million secrets, and you know what I said the first time we met!"

"You'll uncover them all..." that quote struck a deep feeling within Sawn, he was scared, but also curious. Sometimes he'd fantasize about how the other would crack all the secrets he had, sometimes the exact opposite.

"Well... if you really wanna know..." Sawn grinned. The one Lou was familiar with, mischievious and unreadable.

"Oh no... you're gonna make me do something aren't you?" He groaned. Though his tone sounded defeated, he hates to admit that he actually liked the challenges the others would make him do. One time, the immortal man made him get an ice cream for him, but with a twist ; if he guesses the flavour correctly, Lou has to consume the whole thing in one bite. Sawn obviously guessed correctly. It was painful, heck, it even gave Lou the worst brainfreeze known to man, but he enjoyed every bit of it.

Glancing at the sleeping puppy, Lou sighed dramatically and gave in.

"What is it, dear master?" He sighed with a hand behind his neck.

Sawn gleamed proudly as he quickly stood up and ran towards the small lake in the center of the oasis, he then cupped as much water as he could into his hands and glanced at Lou, signalling for him to come closer. The time traveller rolled his eyes and dragged his feet towards the other, acting deafeated. Little does Sawn know, the taller had plans, horrible ones too.

Lou caught Sawn off guard and pushed him into the lake, causing a huge splash. Peony jumped up as it looked around cautiously, just to glare at the two weirdly. The dog puffed then trotted towards a shady place under a palm leaf, then settled down again.

Sawn floated towards the surface with a red face. Lou couldnt tell if his friend was blushing or overheating from the anger, but instictedly he mocked the other.

"Awww Sawn's flustered?"

"Wh- you dumbass! How is anyone going to be flustered after they get pushed into a lake!" Sawn shot back like a snake lunging towards its prey.

"Phhft, you're getting redder~" Sawn cooed sadistically as he cupped some water up and splashed it into the other's face, mocking him more.

"Uh- No- I'm bleug- LOU STOP IT IM DROWNING!!!" The shorter exclaimed.

"Oh no-" before he could end the sentence, a small hand took a firm grasp of his held out hand and pulled him into the body of water.

"HAH! NOW WE'RE EQUAL!" Sawn shouted with pride as Lou coughed up some water, his hair flopping utop of his eyes. His hair was longer than Sawn's, but he'd noticed how stylised it was. Sometimes the immortal envied the future. 

Lou smirked at the other as he slowly immersed into the water, slowly. Sawn scoffed, but deep down, he knew he was scared, really scared. 

When the water rippled for the last time, Sawn could feel himself shake with fear. Fear of what? He didn't know, but he was certain a danger would arise. Suddenly, like the last lightning he'd seen, Lou jumped up with a strike, showering Sawn with a lot of water, leaving him a little light headed.

"Ugh, you always get me," Sawn sneered, but his feisty spirit wouldnt cease, weakly splashing water at the other. Lou laughs at him as he pulled the immortal up from the lake.

"You're adorable, like a child," Lou says as he wrings his shirt, "sometimes I forget that you're like- sooo much older than me."

"I forget too, idiot," Sawn rolled his eyes, "yeah yeah, a child-like immortal looks like he's 16 but he's actually 3141 years old, how normal."

Lou chuckled gently, gazing up at the sky. Upon noticing the crimson colour, he yelped in excitement.

"Sun's setting Sawn, sun's setting!" He chittered like a child seeing ice cream.

"What's so exciting about the sun setting?" The other asked as he added more twigs into the small bonfire they sat around. Peony was in Sawn's lap, sleeping calmly, sometimes he wonders why the pup slept so much.

"You see, the colours are beautiful and I never saw them in the future," the time traveller whirls his head to see the sight, gleaming like a kid.

"Meh, I can't even see the colo-" Sawn quickly covered his mouth, but he realised that it was too late.

"Wait, you're colourblind?" Lou questioned, "You never told me..."

"Yeah, wow, a million minus one I guess." Sawn said sarcastically, Lou chuckles.

"What kind?"

"What kind?" 

Lou rolls his eyes and takes out a small notebook.

"What type of colourblindness?" He asked clearly. 

Lou flips to a clean page and writes 'A Million secrets to Uncover'. Sawn forms a flat line from his lips and sighs.

"Acromatopsia, yes I read the books you gave me." Sawn quickly says as he gazes the opposite direction, hiding his face. Sure, he was embarassed, not to mention how much of a nerd Lou would think he is now. But weirdly, the other wraps his arm onto his shoulders and pulls him closer.

"You poor thing, I'll come back the next time with something to help with that, promise." A promise, Sawn always hated promises. Before he left the village he stayed for 8 years, his 'best friend' at the time promised to travel with him. But he didn't. The girl left him, she left him for a man, later to be dumped by him. Sawn felt a little pride seeing her being left, but also a little emphathetic. But a promise from Lou felt genuine, warm like everything the other does. He loves when Lou makes promises, because he never breaks them, but Sawn wouldn't keep his hopes up high, he doubted the other could keep this up.

"Are you staring again? What is it with you today?" Lou said as he pulls Sawn closer.

"Just thinking." The shorter replied.

"You shouldn't, I'm here, you can do all of that later," Lou simply says.

"I-" I wish we could stay here forever "I'll try."

  


  



	2. Anemoia

It was like a lightning bolt, sharp and quick. Painful but beautiful. It hurt to see, but at the same time, it's relaxing. A memory flashed through his eyes, it wasn't any memory though. It didn't feel nostalgic, nor did it feel bad. It shook a scent of anemoia; nostalgia for something you've never felt. The last string that snapped. No, it wasn't a memory. Peony shook. _Odd_ , she's a dog, not a mind reader. But it didn't matter. A storm was coming, it was a warning.

Once Lou left, Sawn was abandoned with the same feeling. Over and over again, thousands of years he yearned for a friend. That was when Peony came to be. A puppy, alone in the dessert. It was unnatural, Sawn was sceptical, but didn't mind an extra friend. But as years went by, he started questioning the existence of this dog. Where it came from, and how old it was. It felt like two decades had passed, but yet, the dog was still a small puppy. Frozen in time, they'd say. Sawn laughed, they? There's no such thing as them anymore. It's just him and his dog, hopelessly living until their last days. Maybe that day didn't even exist. But little did he care, he has company and will never get bored alone.

Sawn didn't like promises. Never. He learnt this too many times. Trust is something you should never give in, not once. He never trusted Lou, but a part of him wanted to. The other had promised. Yeah, haha, promised to return in a few days. He'd smile, thinking that he will actually turn up. Something in hand, maybe a surprise, maybe a gift. But he didn't care, as long as his best friend was here, it was going to be alright.

The two ageless beings decided to stay at the oasis until Lou came back, but as time grew, so did their boredom. Humming a small tune, Sawn clutched his light coloured backpack. Unzipping it to reveal the contents, he muttered a small inquisitive sentence. Peony tilted her head with confusion. Sawn chuckled and hauled up a wooden chess board, it seems to excite the small dog.

Sawn thought it was weird, how in the world, could a dog, yes, a dog play chess? Let alone beat him a lot of times. But before he could think any further, his queen was taken. The short man grunted irritatably. Peony's short answer was a slow blink and a loathesome grin. Her owner shuddered, then hesistantly moved a knight, trying to attack the dog's bishop. Upon realising that he could've taken the knight that eliminated his queen, regret and anger bubbled up his chest, followed by a low groan.

A few hours of chess passed as the sun startetd rising again in the east. The soft toasty rays warmed Sawn's cold hands, giving a small satisfaction to his mind. They have settled at a score of 2 : 3, Sawn had merely won Peony. Gleaming with delight, he slowly picked the chess pieces and delicately placed them into a black pouch. He closed it by tugging on a fancy string at the end of the bag. 

" **Sawn**!" 

"Hu-" but before he could finish, a large body landed on him, giving the man a huge hug. A familiar voice laughed from above as Peony yipped and hopped onto the other's back.

"You came back!" Sawn exclaimed, half teary, "I didn't think you wo-"

"Oh of course I came back, what do you expect?" Lou cut him off. Slowly, he sat up and helped the immortal pack the chess pieces. Noticing the tears, he smiled softly before reaching a hand out to wipe them. 

Sawn stiffened to the foreign object on his cheek, but widened his eyes upon realising. He didn't dare flinch, nor did he give out any reactions. The man just sat there, enjoying the care he was showered with, lost in his pocket of time.

"There, all dry," Lou said with a soft tone, wiping his wet fingers on a small rag, "And- oh yes! As I promised..."

Sawn raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the sudden gesture. He smiled to the other's fondness to remember a promise, like a cool gentle breeze against him. A box was revealed as Lou unwrapped it slowly.

"Tada!" He held out a bottle of what seemed to be like capsules.

"I know they look very suspicious, but trust me, they'll work," he held out one to Sawn, in which the other received cautiously. 

"Just, uh, if anything happens to me, keep Peony safe, okay?" 

Lou chuckled "you're being ridiculous, it's just pills to help your eyes or whatever work."

Sawn reacted with a pout, "I'm not ridiculous! I'm being reasonable," he then popped the pill into his mouth and gulped, face scrunching up from the foreign feeling.

"There, if you take one everyday for a week, you'll eventually see!" The time traveller gleams pridefully.

The immortal deadpanned, “I’m not blind you idiot.”

Turning his head away, a small heat creeped up his neck. No one has ever cared about his eyes, in fact, they would make fun of him. But Lou was different, Lou was his best friend, someone who accepts him for who he is. That warmed Sawn. He never felt cared for, nor loved, never in his life. But Peony and the time traveller made everything different, like they made his world colourful, bright. That not only reassured him, but made him look forward to what is to come. Something he never bothered caring about. He was being brought back to life, given a sacred elixir.

……...

As time consumes space, so did it consume Lou's life. No matter how hard Sawn tried, he can't hate the other, never. He will never hate his best friend. Until death do they part, Sawn swore. He swore upon the brightest star he'd seen in years, decades, even before Peony existed. That star fell through the atmosphere, shining like the sun, Sawn muttered a sad wish. One that no one would believe he'd wish. He would have wished for death, but no, he wished his friend would be there until time dies. He was there to witness it alone, freezing at the top of the tallest mountain he’d climbed, smiling softly while streams of tears rolled down. It was a bitter feeling, yet it was also sweet. Sawn closed his eyes as the meteor slowly ceased, putting all of his fate into the wish.

They’d met a thousand years ago at a river, the one lodged between a small valley. The two called it faith valley, the place where sworn friends meet, and the place they’ll say goodbye. The two have witnessed this many times, friends or lovers, they all start and end there. Lou joked about how he wishes to die there, on a bed of snowdrops, his favourite flower. Sawn’s answer to that was a grimace look, one that the time travel felt a physical pain looking at. 

Best friends gave a goodbye hug before the time traveller vanished. Sawn's gaze laid at a small snowdrop flower, carefully ripped it out and placed it into his side pocket. He wanted to keep this moment a memory forever. A promise that hurt to think of, but also warm. Humans still existed, they still had their etiquette, their jealousy. Sawn only thought of them as a temporary bug. Nevertheless, humans are a waste of time. Funny, Sawn is human, but the immortal thinks otherwise. He isn’t normal, he doesn’t die. But after meeting a time traveller, his world view shifted like a star going into a supernova. Something old destroyed that is crucial to something new.

…..

It was midnight, the two men still seated at the lush oasis. The darkness scattered around as a cool breeze swifted across the desert. It seemed odd to Sawn, everything that happens always seemed so ‘odd’ to him. How could a desert, boiling hot during the day flip polar opposites at night. Like how an iceberg tips, revealing another side that is completely different. Like how leaves on a young tree are different from one that’s old. His eyes gazed back and forth as his mind ran as fast as lightning. Why are peop-

“Sawn? Are you okay dude?” Lou interrupted, “You seem very off lately, is there anything we can talk about?”

“No, I just noticed how I describe everything as ‘odd’” The immortal muttered, bringing an arm behind his neck in embarrassment, “And to be honest with you, I think you’re the best person I’ve ever met.”

Lou chuckled then wrapped an arm around his best friend's shoulders, “No, Sawn, you’re the best person I’ve ever met.”

A small exhale was sounded as the two fell asleep, comets and small asteroids flew by like a shooting star. One someone could wish upon. 

It was nostalgia.

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> OWHFKSFBSJ I SHALT UPDATE TWICE A WEEK CAUSE IM KEWL


End file.
